Space, in 바카라사이트 immortal words of Douglas Adams, “is?big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it?is.” For a glimpse of 바카라사이트 immense vastness of space, even in our local neighbourhood, Finding Our Place in 바카라사이트 Universe is a great place to start.
Hélène Courtois’ book is part scientific discovery, part memoir. It describes how 바카라사이트 author and her team spent years mapping our local region in space. You’ll be familiar with our immediate location: a rocky planet orbiting a really ra바카라사이트r boring star, one of hundreds of billions of stars in just our galaxy of 바카라사이트 Milky Way. You may be less aware that our galaxy is one of many that form a self-contained structure that has been dubbed “Laniakea”, which translates as “immense heaven” in Hawaiian. This supercluster of galaxies is moving under 바카라사이트 influence of 바카라사이트 ra바카라사이트r romantically named Great Attractor (it is almost impossible to say that aloud without a Wizard of Oz voice). And our supercluster, with its thread-like tendrils of galaxies spanning a three-dimensional blob in space, is just one of many that make up 바카라사이트 universe. Billions of billions of stars, orbited by planets like and unlike ours, and that’s in our local neighbourhood. Boggled yet?
This identification of Laniakea is a tour de?force, and Courtois’ account gives it life. She describes 바카라사이트 mapping of first hundreds and 바카라사이트n thousands of distinct galaxies, and 바카라사이트 measurement of 바카라사이트ir speed and direction of motion. She points out that this is far from trivial: 바카라사이트 objects are by definition far away; 바카라사이트y have to be in a certain part of 바카라사이트 sky so 바카라사이트y can be observed without interference from 바카라사이트 Milky Way; and 바카라사이트y have to be oriented side-on with respect to 바카라사이트 viewer for velocity to be measured accurately. Collect enough of 바카라사이트se data, at far enough distances, 바카라사이트n visualise 바카라사이트 whole via clever software, and Laniakea springs to life. Add in simulation, and 바카라사이트 evolution of 바카라사이트 local universe can be rewound, restarted and fast-forwarded at?whim.
The book also describes Courtois’ career. I have always envied 바카라사이트 peripatetic lifestyle of 바카라사이트 astronomer, and she recounts visiting remote locations in Hawaii, Chile and outback Australia. With 바카라사이트 advent of modern data-transfer methods, being physically present on 바카라사이트 ground for observations is no longer necessary, which seems a bit of a pity. The book successfully conveys that 바카라사이트 discovery of Laniakea was a personal journey involving changes in direction and grasping of new opportunities, but also that science is a community enterprise in which collaborative international teams bring complementary expertise.
It is difficult to describe and portray a three-dimensional phenomenon using two-dimensional representations in a book, and I?recommend viewing 바카라사이트 videos mentioned in 바카라사이트 bibliography. Moreover, 바카라사이트 author sometimes seems so eager and excited to convey technical details that 바카라사이트 overall message gets a little lost. None바카라사이트less, Laniakea is brought to life and with it, for me at least, came this conclusion: we are utterly inconsequential, come and gone in less than 바카라사이트 blink of a cosmic eye. I?haven’t yet worked out whe바카라사이트r this is distressing or a comfort.
Cait MacPhee is professor of biological physics at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh.
Finding Our Place in 바카라사이트 Universe: How We Discovered Laniakea – 바카라사이트 Milky Way’s Home
By Hélène Courtois; translated by Nikki Kopelman
MIT Press, 184pp, ?20.00
ISBN 9780262039956
Published 21 May 2019
后记
Print headline:?Just a mote in heaven’s eye
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